§651. Furnishing and distribution

1.Election materials sent to voting place.
Before the polls are opened, the clerk shall deliver or have delivered the election
materials marked for each voting place to the warden at that voting place. The warden
shall give the clerk a receipt noting the number of ballots received after the election
officials have opened the boxes of ballots and verified the contents.

A. Notwithstanding section 606, subsection 3, in a municipality that has an island
voting district, the clerk may deliver the ballots and other election materials to
that district on the day before the election and leave them in the protective custody
of the warden or ward clerk. [2001, c. 516, §9 (AMD).]

[
2001, c. 516, §9 (AMD)
.]

2.Election materials distributed and posted.
At any time after the materials are received and before the polls are open, the
clerk may open the packages or boxes of election materials, break the seals on the
packages not marked "ballots," and use the materials for instructional purposes. On election day, the clerk or the election officials must post the voter instructional
materials described in section 605-A, if applicable to the election, as follows:

(7) One citizen's guide to the referendum election prepared under section 605-A;
and

(8) One copy of the Office of Fiscal and Program Review's estimate of the fiscal
impact prepared under Title 1, section 353. [2011, c. 342, §22 (NEW).]

[
2011, c. 342, §22 (AMD)
.]

2-A.Testing electronic voting systems.

[
1995, c. 459, §55 (RP)
.]

2-B.Opening of ballot packages.
No more than one hour before the opening of the polls, the warden shall break the
seals on the packages containing the ballots and distribute the ballots to the election
clerks in charge of them. The breaking of the seals on the packages containing the
ballots is a public proceeding and any member of the public may be present.

[
2003, c. 584, §8 (AMD)
.]

3.Ballot box examined.
Before opening the ballots, the warden shall open the official ballot box, examine
it and show publicly that it is empty. Immediately after examination, the warden
shall lock the box and deliver the key to the ward clerk who shall keep it until the
polls are closed. After the box has been locked, it may not be moved until the polls
are closed.

[
1997, c. 436, §94 (AMD)
.]

4.Voting starts.
As soon as the duties required by subsections 1 to 3 have been performed, the warden
shall permit voting to start.